About the luthier
Jean Marquet is a Belgian luthier whose work has quickly attracted attention for its refinement, tonal control, and consistently high level of craftsmanship. He trained at the CMB in Puurs, where he was awarded the first prize, the Gouden Bootschaaf, in 2019. His development was shaped in particular by the influence of Walter Verreydt and Gerhard Oldiges, two makers whose guidance helped form his understanding of structure, sound, and precision in guitar making.
Alongside his work at the bench, Jean Marquet also contributes to the wider guitar making community through the Guitar Builders Expo at the Antwerpen Gitaar Festival. His instruments are distinguished by careful workmanship and a clear musical intention. Rather than pursuing effect for its own sake, he builds guitars that aim for coherence, responsiveness, and expressive range, with close attention to how the instrument supports the player in practice.
About the guitar
This Modle Contemporain No. 40 from 2026 is a traditionally built concert guitar with a spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides. It belongs to Jean Marquets more direct and immediate line of instruments, yet it retains the elegance and control that define his work more broadly. The sound is notably responsive, with a quick release of tone and a sense of ease that allows the player to produce a full sound without resistance.
A particularly strong quality of this guitar is the combination of responsiveness and sustain. Notes speak readily and with little effort, yet they do not fall away quickly. Instead, the tone remains present and well supported, giving the instrument both clarity in articulation and continuity in phrasing. This contributes greatly to the feeling of freedom under the hands, since the guitar reacts promptly while still carrying the line with assurance.
Its tonal character is balanced, even, and elegant, with very good separation and a broad range of available color. The voice remains organized across the register and offers enough contrast in shading to keep the sound lively without losing coherence. Taken together, these qualities make this Modle Contemporain a guitar of considerable ease and refinement, one that combines directness with tonal richness in a highly convincing way.
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